Ore concentrator



'(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. LOOK. ORE O'ONGBNTRAI'OR, SEPARATOR, AND WASHER. 7 No. 439,962.Patented Nov. 4, 1890.

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L. LOOK. I 0R5 GONGENTRATOR, SBPARATOE, AND WASHER.

N0. 439,962. Patented Nov. 4', 1890.

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No. 439,962 Patented N0v.4, 1890.

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' WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

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LUTHER LOOK, OF KETOHUM, IDAHO, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, JOSEPH MONTGOMERY,AND GEORGE M. SNOW, OF SAME PLACE.

ORE CONCENTRATOR, SEPARATOR, AND WASHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,962,'dated November4, 1890.

Application filed January 29, 1890. Serial No. 338,455. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUTHER LOOK, of Ketchum, in the county of Alturasand Territory of Idaho, have invented a new and Improved OreConcentrator, Separator, and Washer, of which the following is aspecification, referencebeing had to the annexed drawings, forming apart thereof, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved oreconcentrator, separator, and washer. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is adetail perspective view of the chute. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of anore-receptacle. Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the rifde-table, takenon line 5 5 in Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of one of thedischarge-valves at the side of the riffle. Fig. 7 is a transversesection taken on line 7 7 in Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a transverse sectiontaken on line 8 8 in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a detail front elevation of thedistributer. Fig. 10 is a transverse section taken on line 10 10 in Fig.9. Fig. 11 is an inverted perspective view of the distributer. Fig. 12is an en larged longitudinal section of a portion of the riftle-table.Fig. 13 is a plan view of the forked bar which supports theriflie-table. Fig. 14 is a plan view of a riffle-table with curved ribs.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

My invention relates to that class of devices wherein the separation ofprecious metals and materials from the gangue and other waste is solelyproduced by the action of water running over riffles.

I provide a riftie-table having two peculiarities of construction,namely: First, it is provided with ribs which have a general diagonaldirection, but are curved in the direction of their length; second, theupper and lower sides of the diagonally-curved ribs are at a right angleto each other, the lower one being shorter than the other.

The invention also includes other features of construction, ashereinafter described.

The sluice and riftle-tables A A A in the present case are combined in aset of three and arranged to act together for the more complete andthorough concentration and separation of the ores; but each rifiie-tableis complete in itself. For convenience in operating them they aresupported in a frame one above the other; but they may be placed in linewith equally good results. The riffie-tables may be constructed in onepiece; but for convenience in construction and transportation they aremade in sect-ions with projecting flanges or lugs a at the ends on theoutside and bottom of each section, so that whenthe sections are placedend to end, as shown in the drawings, with a packing of soft materialbetween them, and fastened by bolts at the sides and bottom, they form acomplete rifiie-table with rigid water-tight joints. The tables areprovided with struts band with truss-rods B, which are attached to theends of the tables, passing over the struts which serve to stiffen andstrengthen the table.

The riiiie-tables' can be made of iron, wood, orother material suitablefor the purpose, and the riflies can be cast either in the solid metalor planed in metal or wood, or rolled in sheet metal with suitable rollsand then fastened in the bottom of the tables, or they may be made ofslats of wood overlapping each other.

In the sills O of the riftle-frame are inserted screw-threaded standardsDtwo upon either side of the riiile-tables, making four in all.Wheel-nuts E are placed upon the threaded standards D, and upon thesewheel-nuts rest the forked bars 0. (Shown in detail in Fig. 13.) Uponthese bars are supported the tables A A A By turning the wheel-nuts Ethe riffie-tables may be inclined at any de' sired angle. The standardsD are strengthened by the brace-rods F.

The upper end of the riffie-table A is provided with a distributer G,which is shown in detail in Figs. 9, 10, and 11. The distributerconsists of two notched bars 61 cl, the notches of one bar alternatingin position with the notches of the other bar, so that the materialpassing underneath the distributer will be made to spread out anddistribute itself evenly over the riffie-table. In the space 6 betweenthe distributer G and the upper end of the table is placed a slidingpartition f, attached to a slotted bottom piece g, and held in place byset-screws h 72..

A screw-threaded shaft I-I, journaled in the upwardly-projecting sidepieces of the riffie-- table A, passes through a nut in the partition f,and is provided with a crank t' at one end, by which it may be turned.The pulverized ore and water are delivered to the space 6 upon one sideof the partition f, and pure water is allowed to enter in the same spaceupon the opposite side of the partition, and the delivery of the mixtureand the pure water is regulated by the partition f. The bottom of thetable A is provided with a series of beveled ribs j, which extenddiagonally across the table, their inclined sides lying toward the headof the table. In the ledges at the sides of the table are formeddischargeapertures k, to which are fitted the swinging covers Z, and tothe side of the table is attached a conveyor J, for receiving theconcentrated ore from the table and conveying -it away. The foot of thetable is provided with an adjustable tail-gate or trough K, which isdesigned to separate the part of the water carrying the mud and slum andthe lighter waste material, which discharges at the tail of the sluiceor table from that part of the water carrying the heavier material andpartly or completely concentrated ores and metals. This trough is shownin detail in perspective in Fig. 3. The water and lighter particles arereceived by the trough, while the heavy portion of the material fallsfrom the end of the table into the head of the next table below, wherethe same operation is repeated, and more thorough concentration,separation, and washing are obtained.

The trough K is adapted to slide longitudinally in the brackets or armswhich support it, so that it may be adjusted, as shown by dotted lines,Fig. 2, as desired, orconditions require, to carry off more or less ofthe material discharged over the end of the table .or allow more or lessto fall through upon the table below.

The operation of my improved ore concentrator, separator, and washer isas follows: Finely-pulverized ore or mineral is fed to the head of therifile-table A to the space 6, together with asuitable amount of water.Clear water is fed' onto the table on the opposite side of the movablepartition f. The pulp and clear water move out of the space e under thedistributer G with equal velocity and depth and flow side by side downthe table. As the finely-pulverized ores move down over the riflles onthe side of the table to which they are fed the heavy mineral depositsinto the riffle and is subjected tothe action of the progressive spiralunder-current and is moved downward and sidewise under the stream ofclear water flowing on the opposite side. It is thus thoroughly washedand cleansed from slum and hand by the clear water. The clear watercontinues to act on the mineral and moves it down the diagonal orslanting riffie to discharge at the side, where it is taken 0% throughthe apertures and delivered to the conveyer J. This operation iscontinuous, and the concentrates are carried away by the conveyer asfast as they are separated. If

the mineral which is carried over at the lower end of the rifiie-tableshould not be sufficiently clear, it drops through the open space in thetrough-K to the next table below, while the sand and muddy water areseparated from it and carried away by the trough. Thepartiallyconcentrated or second-class mineral drops onto one side of thepartition f of the next table below, and is further concentrated uponthat table. Clear water is supplied to take the place of that dischargedwith the tailings on the preceding table. Should there be minerals ofdifierent specific gravities associated together in the same ores-suchas the ores of lead, iron, and zincthe heaviest mineral, which is lead,will be the first to settle in the rifiies, forcing the lighter mineralsout of the rifiles and farther down the table before it gets over to themineral discharge. Then the second-class ore drops onto the secondtable. The heavy lead ores yet remaining in it will be the first to bedeposited and carried 0K to the discharge. The ores of iron, which arenext in weight, will be carried farther down and discharged, while theores of aim, being the lightest of the three, will be the last to bedischarged either at the side or lower end of the last table, so thatthe ore is not only concentrated, but ores of different specificgravities are thoroughly washed and separated from each other. The upperside and lower side of the riflles (or ribs) are at a right angle toeach other, the lower one or rise being shorter-i. e., about one-fourththe width of the other, as shown in Fig. 12this form of rib andabovestated proportion of its sides having been found by practical testto give the'best result. The ribs are also preferably curved in thedirectionof their length, as shown in Fig. 14, which is practicallyequivalent to forming rifiies of different angles on the samerifi'letable. I

The riflies are more slanting on that side of the table on which the oreis fed, while on the discharge side the downward slant of the riffle isnot so great. WVhen the mineral drops into the curved riffie at theupper end, it starts down rapidly, but coming under the clear water,where the slant of the riffle is less, its progressive motion isretarded, while the rotatin g action of the under-current is increased,thus thoroughly settling the mineral and washing the sand away from it.Decreasing the width and depth of the riffles at their lower endproduces a similar action.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In an ore concentrator, separator, and washer, ariffle-table provided with a series of ribs extending in a generaldiagonal direction across the same and curved in the direction of theirlength, as shown and'described.

2. In an ore concentrator, separator, and washer, a riffle-tableprovided with a series of diagonally-curved ribs whose upper and IIOlower sides are at a right angle to each other, 4. In an oreconcentrator, separator, and the lower side or rise being the shorter,as washer, the combination, with a riflie-table 16 shown and described.provided with diagonal ribs, of the adjust- 3. In an ore concentrator,separator, and able tail-trough, substantially as specified. 5 washer,the combination, with the riflile-table LUTHER LOOK.

provided with diagonal riffles, of a supply- Witnesses; space, and anadjustable partition placed in W. H. GREENHOW, the said space,substantially as specified. ROBT. MOLEARY.

